Safety seal



NOV. 10, 1931. H 1,830,950

SAFETY SEAL Fiied Aug. g, 1929 Patented Nov. 10, 1931 STTES, PA EN OFFICBQ:

q HARRY nLAxE, on NEW YonK, N. Y.,AssIe1\Ton T PREFERRED UrI ITIEs MANUrAo- TUBING comes-narrower NEW YORK, N. Y., A GGHPORATION or DELAWARE SAFETY 'snAL Application filed August 2, 192a. seriaiuo. 383,610,

' My invention consists in the novel features hereinafter described, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which illustrates several embodiments of the same, selected by me for purposes of illustration, and the said invention is fully disclosed in the following description and claims.

The object of my invention is to provide a frangible seal which may be employed in connection with any device having relatively movable parts, for the purpose of preventing a change in the relationof the-parts to be protected, without leaving possible evidence of tampering therewith. It is par- 16 ticularly desirable for use in connection with locking means for container openings such as are described in my application for Letters Patent of the United States-dated-June 14th,"1929, and given Serial No.-370,762, for example, although this seal is capable of very wide application, not only to locking means, but whereverit is desired to retain relatively movable parts against unauthorized tampering therewith. A valuable feature of my improved seal is that it can be placed in operative positionentirely'by the fingers without the aid 'of any tool after which it cannot be removed without breakfing it, and the breaking is-alsoaccomplished by the fingers withoutthe aid of any tool, so that it can be most conveniently applied and removed.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, which illustrates several embodiments 'of my 85 invention,

Fig; 1 is a top plan view of my improved seal, detached; a Fig. 2 is a' longitudinal sectional view of the same.

Fig.3 is a front view of an electric meter having two of the seals applied thereto.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional viewof a portion of the meter casin showing oneof the seals in section. Fig. 5 is an elevation of a turn-cock pro vided with locking means such as is used in connection with gas meters, and having my seal applied thereto. p

Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing my seal in a form applicable to-the sealing of 10%: door locks or other hasp' locks'and the Fig. 7 is an enlarged sectional view on the line 7-7 of Fig. 6. v

Fig. 8 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 7 showing a slight modification. Figs; 1 and 2 represent a simple embodiment of my improved seal, which comprises. a thin metal plate, indicated at 1, the main body'of which is conveniently formedsub 0 stantially circular, although this is notessential, and, is provided at one side with 'a lever-arm 0r finger portion, indicated at 2, having an upturned end, indicated at 3, the main body of the seal being'preferably providedon the opposite side of itscenter from the lever arm, 2, with a downwardly extendingportion, 4, which I termthe abutment. The central portion of the main body, 1," of the plate, is 'providedwith an aperture, 5, from which extend radial slits, 6, forming lips, 7, which are bent upwardly, as clearly shown in Fig. 2, into inclined positions with respect to the plane of the main body, 1 The main body, 1, of the plate is also provided on opposite sides with weakening slots, or recesses, 8, disposed in a line extending through the center of the"aperture, 5, and the lips, 7 are so arranged that each weakening slot, 8, extends over a considerable portion and is disposed centrally of one of said lips. The plate is made of a materialwhich can be tempered so as to be extremely brittle, and preferably of steel. The main body, 1, off the plate, and the lips, 7, thereof are e.- hardened or tempered so as to be extremely brittle. The plate is made very thin and as the weakening slots, 8,-extend well into op positely disposed lips, '7, the 'main body. can be easily broken through the remaining'por;

tions of. thelsaid oppositely disposed lips, 7. f

It will also be evident that the inclined lips, 7, can be readily broken at their angular junctionfwith" the other portions'of the main body. While it is only necessary in carrying out my invention that the main body, 1, of the plate surrounding the aperture, 5, and including the lips, 7 ,shall be tempered to the brittle point, I prefer in practice to temper the entire plate, although that is not essential. 1

edihcasedreat were applied to the seal-for the purposeof extracting the temper.

My improved seal is employed in connection with a suitable stud having an undercut recess forming a shoulder below the head of the stud, and the head of the stud'is conveniently provided withtapering; or conical portions above the shoulder, the greatest. diameter of the head being slightly greater than the distance between the'upper. endsof oppositely; disp'osedflips,-.7, so that when the aperture, 5, of theseal is-placedover this stud andpressed upon. it, the li .)s,'7,.will

yield very slightly without breaking; them and-will pass over the head ofthestudgtheir upper ends snapping into the recess. below the same and engaging theishoulder from which they cannotbe-disengaged} without breaking the seal or breaking one ormore-of the lips.

In Figs. 3 and .4, for example,lha-vesl1own my improved seal in connection: with. the removable cover. of. an electric. meter as an illustration of its.- practical application. In these figures, 10, .representsthe body. of. the meter, and 11, the removable rover. of. glass or other suitable material,.whichiis-heldiin place by yieldingclips, one of which is indicated=at l2 in Fig. 4.. The body; of the. meter is shown in this instance provided with. a locking stem, 13, which. extends-through an aperture, 14, in the'cover, 11. There may be oneor more ofthese' stems,.as desired... In this instance I have shownthefmeter provided with two. Eachof thelockingstems isprovided at its outer endwith the tapering or conical head, 15,- havingtherunderecutrecess, indicated alt- 16, formingttheaannular shoulder; 17, toengage. theilips, 7 of the seal. When the cover is in place,.the seal can be instantly applied by. simply forcing thelips, 7, over the conical head, 15, .of. the locking. stem, permitting the. lips; 7, to cn gage the inner face of the shoulder, 17, thereof. -The upturned end, 3,;of. thecsealawill project outwardly, as shown .irrFig; v5,..and

forms a finger piece. in. handling the seal, and the abutment portion, 4. is of such length asztoengage the adjacent face of the cover, 11, when the plateportion of the'seal is substantially parallel to said face: ltswill be .un derstoodthat the seal can be readily pressed into sealing position bythefingers, and that the very slight movements of'the lips, .7, to separate them. sufficiently to snap over. the

- conical head ofithe locking stem ,...can.bie ac? complished without fracturing said lips attheir junction with the plate portion of the seal. \Vhen, however, the seal has been placed in position, the inner ends of the lips, 7, will engage the reduced portion, 18, of the same below the conical head, and any attempt to disengage the seal or any of the lips from the locking head will result in a fracture of the metal so that it is impossible for any unauthorized person to remove the part protected by this seal without-breakingit'so as to leave visual evidence that it has been tampered with;

When an authorized person desires to remove the protected'part, as the cover 11 in Figs. 3 andihtheseal or seals isor. are-removed-bysimply grasping the finger piece, 3, and pulling it outwardly, which fractures-the seal through .the remaining portions of the lips.-. In thus-fracturingthe seal, the

lever arm and finger piece,. 2, 3, actas; :1

lever, and the abutment, 41, acts as a support for. the portion of theplatei on 1 the opposite side of. the weakening. slots, from. the finger piece. The removable part, as-the cover, 11,

cannow be removed and replaced, andxafter it is replaced, new seals will be applied to the locking head-in the manner previously described: I

Iirlilig. 5.1 have illustrated the application of. thewseal to means for locking the rotary plugof'ashut-01f cock, such as is ordinarilyused on gas-meters, for example. In this figure, 20,- represents. the body of=the cock-,which is. provided with alocking flange, 21, having an'aperture, 22, therein; 23 represents. the rotary valve member provided with an arm, 24, having a slot, 25,.therein, which registers with the slot, 22, in the locking; flange,.21, when the cock is in the desiredposition in which it is to be sealed. In this'instance I. have shown a locking boltor pin, .26,: having an enlarged portion, 27, at one end-and-provided at the other end with aconical or tapered head, 28, having a reduced portion, 29', formed by theunder-cut recess, 30, and producing the locking shoulder, 31, to engage the seal. Ihe seal is-applied in a manner previously described aiter the locking bolt is inserted through the regprojection, 2, and upturned finger piece, 3, 1

could also be dispensed with if found desirable. The abutment,4, andfinger piece,.3, however, are valuable features ofthe invention, greatly facilitating the. operation of'applyingand removing the seal.

forming the seal is in the form of a band or strip, 100, which may be made of steel or other metal, capable of receiving a high temper to render it brittle. One end of the strip or plate is provided with the part, 101, which forms the body portion of the seal, having the lips, 107 separated by the slots, 106, and being provided with the oppositely disposed weakening slots, 108, exactly as hercinbefore described. The outer end of the strip, adjacent to the seal portion is also preferably provided with the upturned finger piece, 103, and where the abutment is desired, it may be conveniently formed, as an integral struck up projection, as indicated at 104, by punching the portion constituting the abutment out of the strip, 100, forming the slot 100, and bending it downwardly substantially perpendicularly to the plane of the strip. The opposite end of the strip is pro- "ided with a stud, 113. as best shown in Fig. 7 riveted or otherwise secured to the opposite end of the strip from the seal portion, and provided with the tapered head. 115, under-cut recess, 116, and locking shoul der. 117.

In using this form of the seal it can be passed through the hasp, 42, for example. or other locking means which it is desired to secure. and bent to bring the stud, 113. into operative engagement with the seal. In this form of the invention, obviously only the portion of the strip which constitutes the seal. proper is tempered to the point of brittleness, as indicated, for example. by the dotted line.

as, and the remaining portion of the strip, or v at least the central portion, where the bend is made, would be left in such condition that it co ld be readil bent or folded, as shown.

While I have illustrated several ways in which my improved seal can be conveniently used, it is obvious that it may be employed in many other ways, and wherever its use may be convenient or advantageous For example, instead of forming the seal as an integral part of a strip, as in Figs. 6 and'Z, it will be obvious that, as shown in Fig. 8, I may provide a locking strip, indicated at 200, with the locking stud, 213. constructed as previously described, the other end of the strip being merely provided with an aperture, 200', for engaging the stud, the stud being made long enough to receive a separate seal,

shown in Figs. 1 and 2, if this should be found desirable.

.HItwill be understood that in the practical use of the. seals herein described, they will be provi'dedwith the name or trade-mark of the party using the same, or with other distinguishingmark or' marks, and preferably with a serial: number. which will be different on each seal, thuseria'bling :the distributor to keep track of the seals and the more readily to locate any tampering with any of the seals applied inactual use... The identifyingmarks and numbers may be conveniently indented or impressed in the metal of the seal, preferably before it .is tempered-to the desired brit tle condition hereinbefore referred-- to, or the identification of the seals may be eifected in any other desired manner.

WhatI claim anddesire ters Patent is z'' 1 1-. The herein described frangible seal, comprisingafralngible member provided with an aperture and a pluralityof inclined lips surrounding said aperture, said member being provided with weakening slots on opposite sides of said'aperture, each" of which extends into one of said inclined, lips.

2; The herein; described frangible seal, comprising a frangible member provided,

to secure by Letwith anaperture and a plurality ofinclined 'lipssurrounding said aperture, said member being'provided at oneside 'of the "aperture with an abutmentexten'ding laterally from the planed-f the'member to engage a support for'facilitating the breaking of, the seal.

The hereindescribed frangible seal, comprising" a frangible member provided with an apertureand a plurality of inclined lips surrounding said aperture, said member being provided with weakening slots on opposite sides Of said aperture,' each"of which extends into one of said inclined lips, said member being provided at one side of a line passing through said weakening slots, with an abutment offset from the plane of the member to facilitate fracturing the member on said line. p

4. The herein described frangible seal, comprising a frangible member provided with an aperture and a plurality of inclined lips surrounding said aperture, said member being provided at one side of the aperture with an abutment offset from the plane of lips surrounding said aperture, said member being provided with weakening slots on opposite sides of said aperture, each of which extends into'one of said inclined lips, said member being provided at one side of a line passing through said weakening slots, with 4 I naeogeao abutment: oflset' from the: plane. of the member? to": facilitate c fracturing the member on saidline, said member bein'gprovidedon thepside-ofsaidiline' opposites said abutment withaaprojectinghand engagingportionlto serve as a :lever inibreak'mg' the seal.

6a The hereindescribedirangibieseal, comprising a-,frangiblesmemberrproviddwrith' an apertnre'and a plurality:ofinclined lips surrounding said" aperture, .said member; being provided with. weakening, slotson opposite sides :ofsa-id aperture; each ofiwhich extends into one of said -.inclinedlips', said member being; provided 01110116 side: of the aperture with an nptu-rned hand engaging portion and on the other side o frsaidiaperture:with:. a downwardly extendin-g, angular projection both bent up from the member; s

7 The herein. described frangible seal comprising an elongated metal member; one end oiwvhich is provided with a. locking (stud havingga tapering head and. an under=cut recess: forming the locking, shoulder, the other end; of said member-being provided with i a brittle, frangible portion, having an aperture toizengage said stud; a plurality of inclined V lips; surrounding said aperture, and weakeningislotsaoniopposite sides of 1 the, member 1111 11116: with; the amsofsatd aperture each, of

which slot-s (EXtQHdSlIltOwOIlG of said inclined lips; said member being provided at one side ofraline passing through said weakening slots with 2 an. integral angularly disposed. struckup.-abutmentloffset from the-plane of said member, and being provided on theopposite side of said. line; with. a. .proj ectingl hand eng gingportionto serve as a. lever :in fracture ing said seal. 7 v

V In testimonywhereof-I; afiixmy signature.

' 1 HARRY E. LAKEv 

